History

God's Children

"I am Part of the Vision"

Mt. Zion Baptist Church was organized in 1867 in Stafford County, Virginia with 30 members. In 1873, the Church body separated into two congregations after a dispute over the location for a new site. Under court arbitration, one congregation was named First Mount Zion and the other retained the name of Mount Zion.

In 1947 First Mount Zion relocated to its present location, in Dumfries, after the War Department incorporated the land (Quantico Marine Corps Base) upon which the Church occupied. Initially, worship services were held only once a month, later twice a month & in 1965 services were held every Sunday.

In 1962, Rev. Agustus Thomas Gaskins accepted the Church's call as Pastor and served for 33 years until June 1995. He was elevated to the newly established position of Pastor Emeritus.

In June 1995, the Church called the Rev. Dr. Luke Torian as their first full-time pastor. Under Pastor Torian's leadership, the membership of First Mount Zion Baptist Church grew steadily and now exceeds 2,500 members. Dr. Torian's service to FMZ has been highlighted by many significant accomplishments. Specifically, he was instrumental in helping the membership embrace God's vision. [Vision '98] for the future. This is evident by the development of the church's mission statement.

Under his leadership, church ministries more than doubled. In addition, he led the congregation in the fulfillment of Vision '98, which culminated in the construction of a multimillion dollar edifice complex, dedicated on April 8, 2001. This marked the 134th Anniversary of the founding of the church.